Year of the Wolf: Wolf's Rain
by Mizu Miyamoto
Summary: Hige, Tsume, Kiba, Blue, and Toboe have lost Cheza to Darcia. Little do they know that there are actually THREE Flower Maidens that still exist! Please review!
1. Chapter 1

**A Scarlet Ray of Hope**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, so um…yeah. Although Ashella and Hemolal are Flower Maidens which I made up, I don't own them, cause yeah...I didn't come up with the concept of a Flower Maiden.

**Chapter One: Four Wolves, One Hope**

The sky over Myuge (a Noble town) was a deep crimson, the color of blood. Toboe looked over the edge of a two-story building, eyeing a hot dog stand with hunger. Cheza, who sat beside Toboe, stared at the red sky.

"Hey! Runt!" shouted a gruff voice. Toboe turned around and saw Tsume carrying a carcass so mutiliated and deformed, that it was impossible to identify what it was. Toboe turned into his wolf form, and wagged his tail happily. "Where's Kiba and Hige?" Toboe questioned. A black wolf jumped out of the chimney of the building. It shook its fur, and ash flew everywhere. Cheza laughed.

"What were you doing in the chimney, Hige?" Toboe asked innocently.

"I was chasing after a rat," replied Hige, reverting to his human form. He pulled a bloody rat out of his coat pocket, "You can have this. It's too dirty for me," Hige siad, tossing the rat to Toboe, which he caught expertly between his teeth. After finishing his ashen rat, he asked, "Where's Kiba?"

Kiba put his head up to the door of a dingy little hut. He could hear Cher talking to Hubb.

"What? There's another Flower Maiden?" questioned Hubb in surprise.

"Apparently, a few pages are missing from the Book of the Moon. I went through a great deal of trouble to track them down. From them I learned there are actually three Flower Maidens," informed Cher, twirling her hair.

"Three?"

"Yes. One for each moon. Cheza is of the White Moon. Ashella is of the Black Moon. When the two fuse together, they will create Hemolal, the Maiden of the Blood Moon."

_"I've got to tell the others," thought Kiba._ The door to the hut opened. Kiba ran away as fast as he could, to avoid being seen.

"What?" exclaimed Hige, "There's three Flower Maidens?"

"Yes," said Kiba, "Ashella of the Black Moon, and Hemolal of the Blood Moon."

"My friends the ones from my kind…they're still alive?" gasped Cheza.

"Heh. I wouldn't believe it if I were you," said Tsume, 'I don't really believe in the whole Paradise thing myself."

"I guess all we can do is hope…," sighed Blue.

"Hey, where did you come from?" Hige asked, blushing.

"I just got back from the market. I thought you guys hadn't eaten yet, so I brought everyone some sasuage links."

"Yum!" muttered Toboe. He remembered the girl who had fed him sausages of the same time awhile back.

"Anyway Blue. There's two other Flower Maidens out there," said Kiba.

"I know. I heard."

"Hubb. I'm sore. Would you mind giving me a back rub?" Cher asked, lying on the sofa.

"You still act like we're married," said Hubb, massaging the blonde's shoulders.

"I know," she sighed. The door flung open.

"State who you are!" ordered Hubb, pulling out a revolver and pointing it at the mysterious figure. The figure did not respond, and kept walking.

"Stay back!" shouted Hubb, firing a bullet at the shadowy figure. It didn't affect the shady figure at all. Then, before Hubb could do anything else, he blacked out.

"Hubb! Are you alright!" Cher interrogated, shaking Hubb's body. Then she too, passed out.

"I need these," said the figure, picking up the Book of the Moon as well as the pages that were torn from it. Then he walked away, leaving the door wide open.

Meanwhile, back in the building near the hot dog stand, the five wolves (and Flower Maiden) snoozed peacefully. Everything was seren and peaceful, and a fire blazed in the fireplace. There was a sudden chill in the air. The fire died out. Darcia walked over to Cheza, who was fast asleep, dreaming of about oceans of vodka and chocolate. Darcia scooped Cheza into his arms, and she awoke.

"Kiba! Tsume!" she screamed. Everyone woke up. They edged towards Darcia, in their fierce wolf forms.

"Come any closer and the Flower Maiden dies," said Darcia, pulling out a knife and holding it up to Cheza's neck. A trickle of green fluid spilled down her neck. A single tear rolled down her face as she held a hand out to the wolves as if she was saying "help me". Then, after backing slowly out of the building, Darcia got into his ship. The engines of the ship roared, and soon, the ship was but a speck in the sky.

"DAMN!" snarled Kiba.

"There's two other Flower Maidens out there. We have nothing to worry about," growled Tsume.

"But we can't let Darcia into paradise!" Toboe pointed out.

"Then," sighed Kiba, "We shall go after Darcia. We leave tommorow morning."

_To Be Continued…._

So, how did you like it? It is one of three of meh stories that doesn't include killing something lame (Mizu-haters rejoice! XD). Toboe Wolf got me started on this anime series, not _The Year of the Wolf_. Please don't flame me if you don't like it, alright? If you do I shall sic my Beer Monkeys on you, and you won't like it. However, light criticism is accepted in reviews, but if you do criticize, please include good comments as well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: A Journey Weaved with Strings of Hope**

Hige's eyes parted slowly. "Hey, you're finally awake!" exclaimed Toboe.

"Where am I?" Hige queried, looking around at his surroundings. He was in the back of a jeep. Tsume sat in a corner, snacking on a bag of Lays, barbeque chips. Kiba was fast asleep, snoring like a walrus.

"You weigh more than you look, Tubby," said Tsume, "We had to carry your sleeping carcass out of the building. Little runt Toboe almost broke his back carrying you."

"Hey, take that back!" snarled Toboe.

"He's just kidding around," Blue informed.

Meanwhile, up in the passenger's seat, Cher was amsuing herself with a gameboy. Hubb stared lazily at the road ahead of him as he drove the car. "So, just where are we headed?" he asked his ex-wife.

"We're following after Darcia's ship," Cher replied.

"And with what, that gameboy as our tracking device?"

"It has a built in radar"

"Looks more like you're playing Pac-Man…oh well," yawned Hubb, "Do we have any chilled coffee in the cooler?" Hige passed a Bean Man™ Brand chilled coffee up to Hubb. But, before Hubb could even pop the top off, a bullet flew through the window of the car and sped through the can of coffee, spilling cold caffeine all over Hubb's pants.

"Well, I bet that woke him up," sighed Tsume.

"Where did that bullet come from?" questioned Toboe, looking around nervously. Another bullet sped through the car, missing Toboe's noggin by a few millimeters.

"Their Darcia's men!" gasped Blue. Kiba woke up, then there was a loud bang, and one of the car's rear tires blew out. The car skidded on the ground, and then tipped over on its side, sending everyone who was not wearing a seatbelt to the ground. The car windows shattered, raining glass down onto those who had fallen. Everyone scrambled out of the lop-sided car and out into the barren, icy land.

"Surrender yourselves or we have the right to shoot!" shouted one of Darcia's shoulders, pointing a machine gun at Hige. The other souldiers had their guns aimed at the other members in the group. "What do we do?" Toboe whispered to Hige.

"I don't know…" replied Hige.

"Put your hands up now!" ordered an impatient soldier, "Or we'll shoot you on the spot!"

Toboe put up his hands. Tsume looked at him funny. "We're not going to let those bastards get the best of us," he whispered to Toboe, and nodded his head at Kiba. Kiba nodded in response. Immediately, the two males turned into their wolf forms and charged at the soldiers. The soldiers fired, but the two wolves dodged the bullets expertly. Kiba sunk his fangs into the neck of a nearby soldier, severing his spinal cord, which proved to be fatal. Blue and Hige attacked the soldiers; both drove their teeth into the soldiers and ripped them to pieces. Toboe observed the whole battle alongside Cher and Hubb, the latter was drying the coffee off his pants.

"Well, that's the last one," confirmed Kiba, spitting out a hunk of soldier flesh. An object traveling at a high velocity zoomed past the group and blew up the car.

"We gotta get the hell out here! They have bazookas!" yelled Tsume.

"But where are we going to go?" Hubb yelled back. Tsume shrugged his shoulders. What were they to do now that there was no car and someone was firing bazooka shells at them? Nothing. All they could do was stand there and hope that whoever was firing the shells would run out of them soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Aluminum Wings**

Disclaimer:  Tomo Hiragizawa is my character, so don't steal him, alright? Now that we have got that settled, I'll continue with the story.

"I don't want to die," cried Toboe, now curled up in the fetal position. Blue put her hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort the wolf boy. In the next second she fell to the ground, her eyes staring blankly up at the sky.

"Blue! No! Don't die!" Toboe sobbed, rushing to Blue's side. The woman didn't respond. Next thing he knew, Hige fell.

"Hige!"

Kiba, who collapsed to the icy permafrost, followed Hige.

"Kiba!"

Then it was Tsume's turn, succeeded by Cher, then Hubb.

"Tsume! Cher! Hubb!" Toboe looked around. The blizzard was kicking up, obscuring his view. "What's going on?" A sharp pain blossomed in his back. The world began to shift out of focus. Just as he passed out, he heard the faint whir of a machine.

"So, you've got them?"

"The wolves and the humans?"

"Yes sir."

Toboe's ears perked up, but his eyes refused to open. A small stabbing pain existed in his shoulder, and he rolled to his side to minimize the uncomfort.

"At this rate, we should catch up with Darcia in about three days or so."

"Three days? Even with the solenoid thrusters?"

"Well, Section Five needs to cool off. Anymore stress an-"

"Yes, yes. I get the point. Inform me when it's done cooling."

"Oh, our passengers, should I wake them up?"

"No. Let them sleep. They need to let the drug wear off."

"Yes sir."

_"Where am I?"_ Toboe wondered. He opened his eyes, and discovered he was in a well-furnished room. Hige and the other guys slept on the floor, near an altar filled with a bright purple flame. Blue was fast asleep on a suede recliner, and Cher was dozing off on a couch of the same material.

"Oh! You've emerged from your slumber." Toboe spun around. A young boy, about ten, stood in the doorway. He had ruffled red hair and several freckles spotted on his cheeks. The boy wore grimy overalls and carried a wrench in one hand.

"Who are you? What am I and the others doing here?" interrogated Toboe.

"Before I answer any questions, you might want to remove that dart in your back," said the kid. Toboe pulled a short, stubby dart out of his left shoulder.

"So, who are you and what am I and the others doing here?" Toboe questioned again. The boy smiled a toothy smile.

"I'm Tomo Hiragizawa, the gun specialist and mechanic of this ship, the Saint Bovine. And for your information, I saved your guy's butts! You were all about to be bacon bits if you stayed out there any longer!"

"Sorry…thank-you," Toboe thanked, "I thought you were one of Darcia's men."

"Nope. Hey, I'll show you around the ship, ok? Come on, it will be fun," beckoned Tomo.

"Alright," replied Toboe, following the youngster.

A man stared out of the glass window of the cockpit. Anxiety and pain had tugged at this man's face for years, causing his skin and flesh to slope downhill. The lifeless grey sky reflected the man's ashen hair. "What lurks in the shadows of the future…either the door of salvation or the beast of nothingness…I just hope he dies. I'm tired of fighting…if only you were still here Maya."

_To be continued…_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: eine Riese machen**

Hige sat up and yawned. A rather large snot bubble emnated from Tsume's nose.

"Gross," muttered the chubby wolf. It was just then he noticed that he was in an odd place. "Where am I? He shook Tsume's body roughly.

"Go away tubby," he growled, half asleep. Hige was about to wake up Kiba when Toboe and a short, red haired kid walked into the room.

"Hey! Hige! You're awake!" exclaimed Toboe, waving his hand.

"Who's he?" questioned Hige, pointing at the kid.

"He's Tomo Hiragizawa. He saved our lives."

Tomo spoke up, "With help from pops, of course. Hey, go ahead and wake up the others. I'll get our breakfast."

"What is this?" questioned Tsume, poking a block of green jelly that was on his plate.

"That is food," replied Tomo.

"Mloid to be exact. Developed in laboratory I worked in by a close friend," informed Cher, "It also comes two other flavors."

Blue put a scoop of sky blue jelly into her mouth. She nearly vomited.

"It's like plastic mixed with caviar," she declared.

"Mine's not too bad," said Hubb, eating a block of orange jelly with his fingers, 'It's kind of….meaty tasting….like a hot dog."

"You got the processed mystery animal meat," Cher notified. Hubb spat the jello out onto his plate. The intercom turned on, interrupting everyone's meal.

"Enemy ships sighted! Man battle stations!"

"Sorry, guys, gotta go!" declared Tomo, leaping up from his seat. He dashed out the room in a mad hurry.

"What's going on?" panicked Toboe.

"To tell you the truth I don't know either," Hige whispered into his friend's ear. Then, the whole ship shook, sending everyone flying across the room. The intercom came to life again.

"Attention all hands on deck! Report to your battle stations!"

"Battle stations? Where do we go?" gasped Blue, perplexed.

"Follow me!" said Toboe.

"Why should we follow you, runt?" interrogated Tsume.

"Because Tomo showed me around the ship, that's why!" the runt snapped back. Having no further explanation, the group ran out of the room, trailing behind Toboe.

From his shooting turret, Kiba spotted some aircraft. They were definitely Darcia's all right; the black color and many guns gave them away.

"How do I work this thing?" Tsume grumbled.

"Attention!" crackled the intercom," Bring down the enemy ships! The grey joystick in middle allows you to rotate the guns. On top is a red button. This is your firing button! Training session over!"

"Alright, seems easy enough." Tsume set his sights on a black ship, and held down the red button. Blue streams of energy shot from the turret's guns, sending the nearest enemy ship down in flames.

"Score!" mumbled Tsume happily, enjoying his new job.

Darcia looked out of his plane's window. "Surely the wolves did not survive…"

_**End of chapter four**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Discussion**

"Phew! That was a tough battle!" sighed Hige, slinking down into an armchair.

"Attention, all hands on deck! Please report to the conference room," commanded a voice over the intercom.

"Come on!" ordered Tomo, you all have to meet my dad, commander of this ship."

"I'm too tired! I don't wanna," whined Hige, further slouching down into the chair.

"Hige, we have to meet him. It's mandatory," said Kiba, who hadn't spoke in awhile. Hige grumbled.

"Up you go, fat boy!" chuckled Tomo, pulling Hige out of the chair. Hige grumbled again.

"Do you mind if I sleep during the meeting?"

* * *

The conference room was circular in layout, and had several chairs situated around an ovular metal table. A man, about in his fifties, was sitting in a large, leather coated chair. He rested his chin on his hands, Gendo-Ikari style.

"So, I meet you all at last. Kiba of the white pelt, Tsume of the cross scar, Blue the half wolf, Toboe the compassionate, and Hige the chubby. I am pleased to know that wolves still exist. Have a seat, will you all?"

"But what about us?" questioned Cher.

"I was getting to you. You are Cher, and you are Hubb, am I not right? I am pleased to meet you two as well. I am Captain Popagan, the commander of this ship. As long as you stay on this ship, you are my property. You will receive living quarters and basic supplies.In return it is mandatory that you do as I say."

"What? We're not yours to keep!" blurted out Kiba.

"Please, please, I have not finished explaining. I know you all are in search of Paradise."

_He knows about Paradise?_ Toboe's eyes widened at the thought.

"I too, am in search of Paradise. I have several possibilities of to where the gates to Paradise may be. However, we cannot open the gates unless we have one of the flower maidens. And I need your cooperation in order to do so."

"Well if that's what we have to do in order to enter Paradise, then that is what we shall do," agreed Kiba, "Everyone! Do you agree!"

Hubb, Cher, and the wolves nodded their heads.

"Alright then," spoke Captain Popagan, "Conference finished. Head back to your living quarters.

* * *

"There's nothing good on TV these days," moaned Tsume, flipping the channels of the TV with a remote.

"Hey, turn it back!" growled Hige, "I wanna watch the Wheel of Torture!"

"I think I'll be watching Very-Desperate Housewives," announced Cher, snatching the remote out of Tsume's hand.

"Oh no, not this!" whined Toboe, watching two people kiss on TV, "There's too much mush!"

"You don't have to watch it if you don't want to," Kiba informed. Toboe hid under the seat cushions so he wouldn't have to watch the people on tv make out.

Meanwhile, Hubb looked around the fridge for something decent to eat or drink. "AHA! BEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!" he cheered, pulling out a twelve-pack of Budweiser. He ripped a bottle out from its package, popped off the the cap, and drank heartily.

"Hey, throw me one, will ya?" asked Tsume.

"Me too!" added Hige.

"I'll take one"

Soon enough, all the males on board (except for the Captain, Tomo, and Toboe) were thoroughly drunk.

"Dur's a budalow hanin from Cherd's nosd!" guffawed Kiba, lost in drunkeness.

"Panduhs hab pink spods on brown!"

"Guuhh huuuuuh,

"Halloooo, my Tobooooe, my seeeexy woman," sputtered Tsume, even more drunk than Kiba. It was evident he had the sickness known as "beer goggles."

"I'm not a woman," mumbled Toboe, inching away from the drunken slob.

* * *

"Ugh, my head hurts," grumbled Tsume, crawling off his bed, the couch, awaking from a six hour nap.

"Mine does too," groaned Hubb, "Anyone have an aspirin?"

"Good morning," welocomed Hige, "You guys were up till five in the morning, drunk. I don't know if you remember, but Hubb almost took a bite of the remote."

"Damn it! I got drunk!" snarled Hubb, "Now my liver's going to die, and on top of that, I have a miserable hangover!"

"Attention, all crew members! Man your battlestations!"

"Dur kiddies hab a cold!" babbled Kiba, who was still drunk. He stumbled across the room, and then fell flat on his face.

"We better leave him here…he might shoot the ship if we take him along," Blue pointed out.

"Good thinking."

* * *

Meanwhile, on Darcia's ship...

"Your Highness! We have approached the ship with the wolves aboard. Shall we begin battle?" a hooded man asked Darcia. Darcia stared down at the minion from his high and mighty throne.

"Yes…however, I want you to deploy Her…"

"Cheza?"

"No. Remember the Marduk Project? Release her…she may be the one vanquish the wolves…"

"Yes sir!" replied the hooded minion, bowing deeply, then skittering away.

* * *

"His Highness is so creepy….why does have to wear such freakish outfits?" mumbled the hooded minion , as he pushed in the code for a door to open. _And his eyes….they're like the devil'!_ The door slid open, and mist spewed out of the room. The minion stepped in.

The room was small, about no larger than your average bedroom. On all sides were complex machinery, whizzing, and buzzing at random intervals. At the end were two large tubes, which stood vertically. Inside each tube was a nude, young girl. However, the girls looked exactly alike, for one was the clone of the other.

_I forgot…which one is Cheza…which one is the Marduk Project…I think it's the right one who's Cheza, so that means I have to let the left one free._ The minion pushed a miniscule green button next to the left tube. The fluids within the tube drained, and the clone's eyes opened. Then, minion stepped back. Next, the glass tube opened, setting the Cheza-clone free.

"Come, I have a mission for you," the minion ordered. The clone obeyed, and walked towards the minion. "But first….I'm going to have to get some clothes on you…" He gave the clone his hooded robe, and she put it on without reluctance.

* * *

"My loved one…your are closer within my grasp," muttered Darcia, staring at a computer display, which showed Darcia's faithful minion leading the Marduk Project down the hall. The cruel man smiled. "The wolves will not be alive much longer…"

_To be continued…_


	6. Wolf in A Sheep's Skin

**Chapter Six: Wolf In A Sheep's Skin**

A pill shaped, human sized capsule shot out of Darcia's flagship at a frightening velocity. It hit the side of the Saint Bovine with a thunk. Viscous green filaments shot out of the capsule, securing it to the metal airship.

"I can't wait for those wolves to die…maybe I will get a pay raise…" Darcia's lead henchman muttered to himself. He watched a laser pop out of the capsule, which began to cut a hole in the wolf's ship. When there was a hole of ample size, a hatch on the side of the capsule opened, and the Marduk Project climbed out. She made her way into the hole that had been drilled, eased herself in, and then waved to signal that everything was going according to plan. And then, she disappeared from sight. The green filaments on the capsule broke off, and the object began to descend towards the ground.

"Hello, this is Marduk-21990. I've made it into the ship," the Marduk Project called via cellphone.

"Good. Kill everyone on board. But do it secretively. You know how. It's in your genes."

"Yes sir," she replied. She turned the phone off.

"Success," the henchman mumbled, stuffing his phone into his pocket. And then, he walked off to eat lunch.

* * *

"Well, I hope that's the last gear I have to fix today," heaved Hige, wiping the sweat off his brow. It was rathersultry in the boiler room today. Steam hissed out of numerous spouts and pipes, causing the temperature in the room to rise.

_Pitter-patter_. Hige's ears perked up. He could hear the sound of walking feet. Not a human or a wolf's, but something lighter, something more pure than either of the races. It was the flower maiden Cheza. At least to the wolf's eyes.

"Hige…"

Tubby recognized the voice instantly. He pivoted on his foot.

"Cheza! You're back!" he exclaimed. The fake Cheza embraced the corpulent wolf. Then, she let go.

"Kiba! Blue! Tsume! Everybody! Cheza's here!" he called out. The five wolves and two humans (Tomo and Captain Popagan were too busy at the time) ran into the room.

"It really is Cheza!" gasped Toboe.

"This calls for a celebration! Break out the beer!" exclaimed Kiba, still drunk.

"No, we better not…" mumbled Cher, "We don't want anymore drunk people wandering around…"

"I would like to have some beer," said the Cheza clone, smiling.

"Cheza….I never would of guessed you liked beer…" Hige gasped in shock.

"Well, I've kind of developed a taste for it…" she replied. As they walked out of the boiler room, Cheza grinned evilly.

* * *

The room was still a mess from the ordeal last night, but no one really cared.

"I'll serve the drinks," said Cheza.

"You don't have to, after all, it's a celebration for you…" remarked Blue.

"No, I'm fine. I don't mind serving," replied Cheza. Turning her back to the group, she opened the refrigerator, and pulled out an eight pack of Biiru Beer. She opened them, and poured each into its own glass. Then, the false flower maiden reached inside a small pocket on her outfit and pulled out a clear plastic bag. It contained a pale blue powder. She tipped a little into one glass, and was about to pour some into another, but Tsume interrupted her task.

"Are you about done over there!" he called across the room.

"Yes," she replied, putting the bag of powder back in her pocket. Next, she took the drinks over to the group. She lost track of which beer had been contaminated with the powder, and handed one to everyone, even Hige and Toboe.

"But we're not allowed to drink alcohol," protested Toboe.

"It will only be this once," answered Cheza. After she had distributed alcohol to everyone, Kiba declared a toast. Everyone rose their glasses, cheered, and drank merrily. But the merriment ended suddenly. Cher grabbed her neck, as if she were choking. Sweat ran down her forehead. Hubb grasped his arms around her to perform the Heimlich. But when Hubb thrusted his hands into her navel, a large spurt of blood came out of her mouth, which landed on the sofa. Hubb stopped doing the Heimlich. A lungful of blood flew out of Cher's oral orifice once more.

"Oh my God, my dear baby! Somebody, any suggestions?" Hubb cried out. Everybody stood around, not sure what to do. Cher made a hideous coughing noise, and a fleshy chunk, as well as more blood, went sailing out of her. And then, she fell to the floor. Thick red blood dribbled from her mouth. Her eyes were white, misted over with the veil of death.

"No…no…no….Cher…" sobbed Hubb, clutching Cher's body close to himself.

"Well, I guess the party's over…" sighed Tsume.

_**To be continued…**_


	7. Crashing

**Chapter Six: Crashing**

* * *

****

The morning was bleak and dismal. Grey clouds drifted lazily around the Saint Bovine like vultures around a carcass. Today was Cher's funeral. Her body was wrapped up in white shrouds.

"May this soul rest in peace," prayed Captain Popagan, hands clasped in prayer.

"May she rest in peace," said the others. Tomo opened the door of the aircraft.

"Goodbye Cher…" lamented Hubb. And then, Kiba and Captain Popagan pushed the white-veiled corpse out of the plane. In plunged downwards, disappearing into the clouds below. The door of the plane closed.

"Well, I must attend to my duties," announced Captain Popagan," And all of you, tend to yours."

* * *

Kiba gazed wearily out of a window. Today, he had window-washing duties. _How did she die so unexpectedly? A disease maybe? _He dipped a blue rag into a bucket of water, and scrubbed the window. _No, Cher was always healthy. _He plunged the rag back into the pail of water. _What if it is one of the crew…I do not see why they would…_

"ATTENTION ALL HANDS ON DECK! WE ARE DECREASING ALTITUDE AT FIVE THOUSAND METERS PER SECOND DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE! SECURE A PARACHUTE AT ONCE AND EXIT THE PLANE IMMEDIATELY!" the intercom rambled. Kiba dropped the rag on the ground, and smashed open a glass box on the wall containing a parachute. He clutched it tightly to his chest and ran towards the nearest escape door. Then he strapped the parachute to his back, flung opened the door, and jumped.

It was a strange feeling. His stomach seemed to want to rise out of him as he fell. He ignored the feeling, and pulled the ripcord on his parachute. A large white sheet flew out of the pack on his back, and Kiba felt a large jerk, as if he had been suspended. This was a sure sign his parachute was working normally. He and his parachute drifted through a layer of clouds for awhile. The clouds cleared away, and the earth could be seen; though, it was still about fifteen thousand meters below him. A dark green color indicated that Kiba was above a forest

_This is going to make landing a problem…_ He looked around desperately for a patch of grassland. There was one to his far right. Now Kiba was about ten thousand meters from the ground. He attempted to steer himself towards the meadow, but his altitude was decreasing too fast. Soon enough, he was only at one hundred meters. He could make out the pine needles on the trees. There was a few seconds of whistling wind, which only created tension, and then his feet brushed the top of a tree. He sunk lower, and his parachute made a ripping noise. Kiba felt another jerk, which only meant that his parachute had been caught in the trees. The wolf dangled about fifty feet from the ground. It was too far of a fall, for if he fell out of the parachute, he would most surely break a set of bones. Kiba felt helpless, like a grasshopper caught in a spider's web.

_No, I can't let it end this way! I can't die yet! I have to reach Paradise!_ In his rage, he turned into a wolf and bit through all the cords connecting him to the parachute. Then he tumulted towards the ground and landed on something soft and squishy. Kiba got up, and looked at the thing he had landed on; it was Cher's body. It barely looked like Cher, because upon impact with the ground, it had been mutilated. Then, Kiba fell to the ground in agony. His left leg burned with an irrepressible pain. There was no doubt in his mind that he had broken it. He tried to get up, but it was no use. The pain in his leg was far too great.

Unexpectedly, some bushes nearby rattled. _No, do not let it be anything looking for a fight…_ There was snarl. And then, something flew out of the bushes, landing on the wounded wolf.

"What the?"

_**To be continued….**_


	8. Lost

**Chapter Eight: Lost**

* * *

****

"What the?"

A snow-white wolf leaped onto Kiba, fangs bared. It's muzzle and hindquarters were black.

"You've invaded my territory. Prepare to die!" it snarled.

"Get the hell off of him!" shouted a familiar voice. Hubb came running out of nowhere and flung himself at the enemy wolf. The wolf, along with Hubb, sailed in the air for a split second, and then came crashing down. The hostile wolf was now on the bottom. Hubb pulled out a bantam pistol and pulled the trigger. The wolf fell silent. Its head slumped to the ground. Thick red blood oozed out between its eyes.

"Kiba, are you all right?" questioned Hubb, running to Kiba's side. He ignored the destroyed carcass of his former divorcee.

"My leg…it's broken…." replied Kiba, "Where are the others?"

"I don't know yet. Let me see your leg." Kiba pulled up his left pant-leg. It was severely bruised. A bony protrusion stuck out in one area below his knee. Hubb took of his jacket and tore into strips. Then, he gathered some strong looking twigs from nearby. Holding the sticks up to the injured area of Kiba's leg, he wound the shrouds of cloth around and around. To insure that it would hold, he pulled out a packet of Chiclets, chewed them, and stuck them in the splint where it was needed most.

"Oh, one last thing," stated Hubb. He grabbed a thick, hardwood stick. "You can use this as a walking aid." He gave Kiba a hand, and the alpha male of the pack rose to his feet.

"Thank-you," Kiba thanked. Hubb handed him the walking stick. "Now, we better go find the others." Then the two began their trek deeper into the forest, in search of their missing comrades.

* * *

The fake Cheza propped herself against a tree. Things were not going as well as she planned. She broke her hand due to a rough landing. She also didn't have a clue on anyone else's status. Her cellphone buzzed in her pocket.

"Hello?"

"This is Luey, Second in Command. Did you kill them off?"

"One human confirmed dead."

"And the others?"

"I'm searching for them."

"Alright. I will leave you to your mission, Marduk -21990. Second in Command Luey signing off."

Marduk- 21990 stuffed the cellphone back into the pocket from which it came. She pulled out a packet of some thin, elongated throwing needles from the same pocket. She ripped the top of the packet off with her teeth.

"Now a hunting I will go…"

* * *

"Where…where am I?" wondered Toboe, lying eaglespread on the floor of the living quarters. He tried to remember what had happened beforehand.

* * *

To cope with the anxiety from Cher's funeral, Toboe decided to watch some TV. He asked Cheza for a glass of water, and she gladly served him one. Then, Cheza said she had something to attend to, and walked out of the room. Toboe took a sip of the water, and then spit it out immediately. It tasted awful, like rotten vegetables and meat. He left the water alone, and began to watch an episode of Gundam Wing. That's when the intercom blared, "ATTENTION ALL HANDS ON DECK! WE ARE DECREASING ALTITUDE AT FIVE THOUSAND METERS PER SECOND DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE! SECURE A PARACHUTE AT ONCE AND EXIT THE PLANE IMMEDIATELY!"

He got off the couch so fast that he slipped and knocked his head on the TV. The world then faded into darkness.

* * *

The smell of smoke drifted into his nose, and he sat up. The living quarters was full of smoke. Quickly piecing the present and past together, he realized that the plane had crashed with him still in it.

_I have to get out of here! Now, I just have to be careful that I don't pass out again. _He crawled on his hands and knees to the emergency escape hatch, and tumbled onto the ground, just inches from the plane.

He was about to get to his feet when a hostile voice said, " Don't get up. You're a slave of the Hojo Wolf Clan now." A semi circle of white wolves, with black muzzles and rears, surrounded him. The alpha male, the one who had spoken to him, ordered two other males to put chains and shackles on him.

"Now, are there any other survivors?" the alpha male interrogated.

_**To be continued…**_


	9. Captured!

**Disclaimer: I appreciate my readers, but appreciate my readers even more when they review! hint hint Anyway, enjoy reading this.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Captured!**

****

Slowly, Hige opened his eyes. The world around him was hazy and dark.

"Hige…wake up…Hige!" Toboe gently nudged the fat wolf with his foot.

The fuzziness disappeared. Hige could see his friend Toboe, his hands chained together with shackles.

"Where are we?" queried Hige.

"We've been taken in as slaves. We're in confinement right now." elucidated Toboe.

"By whom? Where are the others?"

"We've been captured by the Hojo Wolf clan. As for what happened to everyone else, I don't know."

"I hope they're all right…" In a few short minutes, the two drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Hubb…I'm going to have to…take a rest" announced Kiba wearily, sitting down. A yelp of agony traveled throughout the woods.

"Someone's in trouble!" gasped Hubb, "It sounds like it wasn't to far from here. I am going to go look. Here's a revolver to defend yourself." The man threw the wolf a small Colt .45 and ran off.

* * *

"You! You were the one who killed Cher, weren't you!" questioned Blue, backing up against a tree. Marduk-21990 smiled evilly in response. She came closer to the half wolf, throwing needles ready in her hand.

"I thought the Flower Maiden was supposed to lead the wolves to Paradise! Why are you killing us? Blue inquired.

"I will lead you to Paradise alright…" replied the Marduk-21990. She raised her hand to throw the needles. A shot echoed. The needles fell out of the fake Cheza's hand, and blood trickled from a bullet wound beneath her ear. And then, she keeled over, dead.

"Oh Hubb! Thank-you for saving me! Thank-you" cried Blue, running over to the man, who appeared from behind a bulk of ferns.

"It was nothing" he replied, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "We better go back to Kiba. Even with the gun I gave him, I don't think he's going to last too long with that broken leg of his."

"Hey, you're back," said Kiba. He saw Blue beside Hubb. "I'm glad you're alive, Blue. Do you know anything about the others?"

"Well…" sighed Blue, recalling her memories, "Tsume…"

* * *

Back on the plane, the two were attending to their duties in the boiler room. Hige had done a double shift yesterday, which meant that they had to fill in his role for today.

"Hey Blue, do you really believe in all that Paradise junk? You know, Flower Maidens and Lunar Flowers?"

"ATTENTION ALL HANDS ON DECK! WE ARE DECREASING ALTITUDE AT FIVE THOUSAND METERS PER SECOND DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE! SECURE A PARACHUTE AT ONCE AND EXIT THE PLANE IMMEDIATELY!"

The two scrambled around the room in search of a parachute. At last, they found one near the boiler room door.

"Here, you can have this one," said Tsume, smashing open the glass parachute box, then handing the parachute pack to the she-wolf.

"But what about you?"

"I'll find one. Just make sure you get out of the plane okay."

* * *

"And, then what happened?" questioned Hubb.

"Those were the last words I heard Tsume say. He rushed down the hall to find a parachute, but I never saw him jump…"

"Anyone else?"

"No. I do not know. I guess all we can do is look for them," answered Blue. So the three got off their rears, and they once again took up the journey of finding their fellow brethren.

* * *

Light flooded the room, causing both Hige and Toboe to awake.

"Alright, both of you! Get up! Time for work!" a beefy, hairy man ordered, pulling on their shackles. The two wolf pups grudgingly rose to their feet and shuffled their way out of the room into a place like hell.

Moans and creaking filled their ears. Sweat and sulphur bombarded their olfactories. And the sight of underfed wolves pushing gargantuan turn posts clouded their eyes. A man with a long, nine-tailed whip stood on a tall metal square. He cracked the whip onto the back of any unfortunate wolf who fell behind in his or her work.

"Welcome to the Watagashi Mass Production Plant," greeted the hairy man who had woken them up. He quickly chained the two to a turn post and set them to work.

"What do we do?" Toboe whispered to his friend.

"We just push this for now, and hope the day goes by fast."

"Hey…if ya know…wha good fer ya…don't tawk," advised a fatigued worker nearby, "Save ya energy fer werk."

And then Toboe realized how deep of trouble he was in.

* * *

The sun slowly sunk into the horizon. Some turkey buzzards soared through the pinkish grey clouds.

"It is getting late…we had better find somewhere to sleep," Kiba pointed out.

"I think we just found one…" Hubb responded. In a clearing, the steel alloy ruins of the Saint Bovine lay scattered about. The fire that had been burning on the aircraft earlier had long since died out. Blue's nose twitched.

"I smell the scent of wolves," she remarked, "They must live in this forest."

"It smells like Hige and Toboe were here too," added Kiba, putting his wolfie shnoz to work, "The scent is wearing off though…"

"Well, let's check to see if they're onboard," Hubb suggested, opening one of the plane's external doors.

* * *

"Well, he's not in this room," sighed Blue, shaking her head sadly. She closed the door to the latrine. "Any luck Kiba?"

"Nope"

"What about you Hubb?"

Hubb came running into the room and gasped, "They're outside the plane."

"What? The others? Toboe, Hige, and Tsume?"

"No."

"What then?"

"Pawprints."

_**To be continued…**_


	10. Unconscious!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or any of its characters. However, I do own Captain Popagan and Tomo Hiragizawa, so don't steal! Please make sure you review!**

**Chapter Ten: Unconscious**

* * *

****

"I can't….I….can't…work…..any….more," heaved Toboe, breathing heavily.

"You can do it….there's only half an hour left till lunch," Hige notified.

"I….ca….can't." Toboe fell to the ground, exhausted. The turnpost kept turning, dragging the unconscious Toboe on the ground.

"Stop someone! Make it stop! Toboe's collapsed!" shouted Hige with all his strength. Nobody listened.

"Somebody! Please! He's unconscious! Stop the turning! Stop!" Toboe's body continued to drag along the ground.

"YOU HEARD THE WOLF! STOP IT!" shouted a voice other than Hige's. Everything stopped suddenly, as if someone pushed a pause button. Hige looked around to see who had shouted. It was a beautiful, black haired girl. She knelt next to Toboe and felt his head.

"This one's a runt. Send him off to euthanization facility," she ordered an overseer.

"No! Don't kill him! Please!" Hige begged. The girl looked at Hige sternly, her cold grey eyes staring evilly at his.

"Send this talker to the euthanization facility too. One who talks skimps on work. I want them both executed at once," she said coldly. The overseer unbuckled Toboe and Hige from the turnpost. Hige was too tired to object.

"Ma'am, I think this one's dead," the overseer notified.

"Have it disposed of promptly."

"Yes ma'am," he replied, robot-esque. He then pulled the two wolves away, one gathering dust on the ground, and the other stumbling along.

* * *

"Hey! You! Wake up!"

_I'll find one, just make sure you get out of this plane okay._

"Hello? Wake up!"

_Oh Blue, I hope _you're_ alright…_

"Wake-up!"

Tsume's eyes opened suddenly. He jumped to his knees and looked at the world around him. He was in a rundown warehouse, full of crates. Tomo looked up at Tsume, and Tsume looked back down at Tomo.

"Hey, kid. Where are we?" asked Tsume.

"As far as I know, we're in the port city Du-Lath," Tomo replied.

"Where's your dad?"

"We were separated by a gust of wind while parachuting. I have no clue where he is right now."

"Oh, I see. Is Blue all right! What about the others!"

"I don't know."

"Then I guess we'll have to look for them."

* * *

"Good morning," Blue greeted Hubb, who had helped himself to a salvaged can of beer. He leaned against what used to be one of the plane's wings.

"Good morning? There's nothing good about it. My lover's dead, we are lost in the middle of nowhere, and there's crazed wolves roaming the forest. And it turns out, the flower maiden Cheza is dead."

"Good point," sighed Blue, "Where did you get the beer?"

"It was the last one in the fridge."

"The fridge survived?"

"Yeah. There's some of that mloid stuff in it, but I don't think it's to your taste."

"Where's Kiba?"

Hubb pointed to a lean-to made of scrap metal. Kiba was snoozing under it. Cher smiled faintly. _At least he is a happy camper…_

* * *

The overseer swiped his ID card through a small slot in the door to the euthanization facility. "ID verification process complete," said an electronic voice. The door slid open, and the overseer hauled the two wolves through the doorway.

_What is he going to do with us?_ The overseer opened a drawer and pulled out a tranquilizer syringe.

"No!" cried Hige. The man tackled Hige to the ground, syringe ready in his left hand. The overseer held tightly onto the back of Hige with the strength of a sumo wrestler. He plunged the needle into the scruff of Hige's neck, and pushed the tranquilizer fluid into the struggling pup. He lifted the chubbo off the ground and opened a flap on a large chute, then began to stuff Hige down it. Hige protested violently, banging his head around, in hopes of escaping from the man. Instead of the desired effect, Hige knocked his head on the top of the chute and became stunned.

Next, he slid down the chute with ease into a lower room, where he fell onto a conveyer belt. He heard the whirr of machines ahead of him. Squinting his eyes, he could make out rows of spinning blades. Then, he heard a thump. Toboe had landed on the conveyer belt, but he was still knocked out.

_Oh crap! I have to get us off here otherwise, we will be mincemeat!_ Hige sluggishly rose to his knees. The drug injected into him was already beginning to work. He pushed Toboe off the conveyer belt, onto safe ground, and then, he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

* * *

"Damn! These flies are really annoying!" cursed Tsume, swatting at some pesky insects. He and Tomo walked down a vacant street together, with their only burden being the loss of their friends.

"That must mean we're near It," Tomo remarked.

"What's it?"

"It is the Watagashi Heavy Industries Plant. They produce the parts for airplanes and armored vehicles. They also make mloid," the young boy informed, "Flies really like mloid, so that's why there are so many."

They two continued to walk on, without giving the place a second thought. Little did the two know that they were just a few hundred yards away from Toboe and Hige, who would reveal some of the most disgusting facts of their world.

_**To be continued…**_


	11. The Truth About Mloid

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Wolf's Rain characters. However, Captain Popagan and Tomo are mine. I know this fic may have got off the summary, but trust me, everything will fit together. Just read, and you will see. Do not forget to review and leave any comments that may help this story out.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: The Truth About Mloid**

The world came into view as Hige opened his eyes.

"Hey! Hige! You're alright!" Toboe exclaimed.

"Whaa?" stammered the wolf cub.

"I have to show you something! Come on!" said Toboe, pulling the pup off the ground.

"Just exactly what is it?" Toboe ignored his question and pulled Hige into a giant room, full of complex machinery. Pieces of chopped up meat traveled down a conveyer belt and into a large vat. A horrified look plastered Hige's face.

"We grab a bunch of this stuff and we won't have to eat for a few days!" rejoiced Toboe.

"No, we won't"

"Why?"

"Because this meat is chopped up wolf." Toboe adopted the same terrified face as Hige.

"You mean? People send wolves here so they can be ground up? But for what purpose?" questioned Toboe.

"Over there," Hige mumbled, pointing at another conveyer belt. Little cubes of orange, green, and blue came out of a machine. It was mloid, the food that the wolves and friends had eaten aboard Captain Popagan's ship.

"I actually ate a wolf back then?" cried Toboe. He broke down in tears.

"Don't blame it on yourself. You didn't know," Hige said, trying to improve the situation. Toboe stopped crying, but still looked agonized.

"I'll make sure whoever started this pays!" snarled Toboe, clenching his fists, "I'll kill them! I'll kill them!"

"Well, we better get out of here first and look for the others."

"What about the other wolves? The working ones?"

"We'll come back after we've regrouped. Then we can assault this place." And then the crawled into an air vent, which would lead them to their freedom.

* * *

"Well, half the day's gone and we still haven't found anyone," sighed Tomo. He sat next to Tsume in an open-air café, sipping a lemon and caramel frappuchino.

"At least Toboe and Hige will show up. You know how young pups are, disappearing and reappearing whenever you'd least expect it," replied Tsume. Tomo cocked his head.

"Hey! Tsume! Tomo!" Tsume and Tomo got up from their seats. Hige and Toboe came running towards them and glomped (otaku word for hug) them on the spot.

"Alright, alright, enough with the hugs," growled Tsume, "Where have you guys been?"

"Watagashi Heavy Industries," the two pups chorused.

"Hey, we were just there an hour ago!" remarked Tomo, "Let me buy you some food. You two looked exhausted."

* * *

"Ah, that hit the spot," said Toboe, mouthful of strawberry smoothie.

"Here's your food. Green mloid," said the waitress, setting down a platter of green jelly blocks on the group's table. Hige and Toboe froze.

"Don't eat that," they said together.

"Why not?" interrogated Tsume, holding one of the emerald cubes in his forefingers.

"Because…it's made of wolf meat." The green cube fell to the ground and dashed into pieces. Tsume got up and overturned the table. He grabbed the waitress and shoved her against the wall.

"This place better not be selling wolf meat…..IS IT?" he interrogated angrily.

"I wouldn't know…ask the manager." Tsume threw her to the side, and walked towards the owner of the restaurant. He cornered him and grabbed his collar.

"Does this place sell wolf meat?" snarled Tsume.

"No, we don't sell wolf meat," replied the manager, shifting his eyes to the ground.

"DO YOU SELL WOLF MEAT!"

"No sir," he answered, eyes still looking at the ground.

"DO YOU SELL IT! SPEAK TRUTHFULLY! DO YOU SELL WOLF MEAT?"

There was a long, awkward silence.

"Yes" Tsume rammed his fist into the guy's face, sending bits of brains, bones, and gore within a radius of three feet. Tsume's face was spattered with little pieces of flesh. He wiped them off, and gazed at all the people in the restaurant angrily, except for his three companions. Everybody stampeded out of the café, fearing that they too would meet a similar fate as the manager's.

"How did I know it was a Monday…" commented Tomo.

* * *

"Damn that Darcia! Ruined my personal aircraft and my cargo!" cursed Captain Popagan, crushing the cigar in his mouth, and shifting around in his throne. There was a knock on his door.

"Yes, yes, come in," grumbled Captain Popagan. A tall, black haired girl walked into the room.

"Good afternoon, CEO and founder of Watagashi Heavy Industries," said the girl, bowing.

"What do you want?"

"Sir, the secret's been leaked."

"WHAT? BY WHOM?"

Ashella walked up to the angry man and handed him a newspaper. The headlines read "Mloid is wolf meat" and "murder linked to processed wolf parts". He stared angrily at the picture of the crimescene; Tsume dashing a man's head to bits.

"I…want…him…DEAD!" ordered Captain Popagan.

"Yes sir" answered Ashella, "As you wish."

_**To be continued…**_


	12. Hojo Wolf Clan

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or any of its characters. I created Captain Popagan (aka CEO Popagan) and Tomo Hiragizawa. I do not own Ashella and Hemolal, because they are flower maidens. They belong to the creator of Wolf's Rain. Anyway, with that aside, I really really like reviews. So please enjoy, okay?**

**WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GORE. THIS IS NOT FOR THE PEOPLE WITH WEAK CONSTITUTIONS.**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Hojo Wolf Clan**

* * *

****

Toboe yawned heavily. "Gosh. Today was rough!" He slumped down on a beat up mattress. Hige curled up in a pile of blankets in the corner.

"Thank-you for finding us shelter, Tsume!" thanked Tomo. Tsume had managed to find a slummy, unoccupied house in the ghetto part of town.

"Oh please, don't thank me…." Tsume replied, lying down on a sofa, "Just get some rest."

Someone banged on the door. "Open the door or we'll knock it down!" barked a voice.

"Shut up and leave, or I'll tear your throats out!" Tsume snarled back. The door fell down, sending a large cloud of dust into the air. Several wolves (five in all), snow white with black snouts and butts walked into the room.

"Kill them boys," ordered the largest wolf, "But leave the human alive." The enemy wolves neared towards Tsume, Hige and Toboe, ready to kill.

"Wait! Why do you want to kill us? What have we done to you?" sputtered Toboe.

"You're escapees. We can't let the workforce escape from Watagashi Heavy Industries alive," said one of the wolves.

"But do you even know what goes on there? Do you have any clue?"

"We don't care. We are fed, we are provided with shelter, and we have plenty of mates at our disposal. What more could we ask for?" The wolf hurled itself at Toboe, knocking him to the ground. The wolf fastened its jaws around Toboe's neck.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! YOUR OWN KIND IS BEING PROCESSED INTO FOOD THERE!" Hige shouted at the enemy wolf that had Toboe in his jaws. The wolf opened its mouth, and Toboe was set free. All the other wolves froze, as if time had stopped.

"You mean…wolves…they're being made into mloid?" the wolf stammered.

"Yes"

"We're terribly sorry for bursting in," apologized the leader, "Had we of known the truth about mloid sooner we would of ended Popagan's evil schemes. And as for you, Tomo, you're going to die."

"No! You can't kill him! Don't kill Tomo!" pleaded Toboe, "He's innocent!"

"No, I'm not," replied Tomo, "I knew that my dad had taken you guys in for a reason. He wanted you at Watagashi Heavy Industries. He usually goes about in his plane, looking for wolves. I gladly helped him out on all his voyages. I wasn't sad that the wolves would be processed into food. I hated wolves as much as he did, since some had killed my mother, Maya. Now, I realize not all wolves are killers, that there are some nice wolves. I feel awful betraying you guys. And for my retribution, please kill me."

"Wait! Tomo! We forgive you!" cried Toboe.

A wolf put it's jaws around Tomo's neck.

"Please! Don't kill him!" begged Toboe

"Goodbye, my good friends. Kindness is so cruel. I'm sorry Toboe, to put you through this," said Tomo, smiling. The wolf sunk his teeth into Tomo's neck. There was a loud ripping sound. Tomo's head fell from his neck, and rolled across the floor to Toboe, leaving a bloody trail. Tomo's head was smiling up at Toboe.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGH!"

"Well, now that's done with, do you guys plan on helping us kill Popagan and his men? We'll also free all the imprisoned wolves."

"We will. Come on Toboe, he was a traitor. He doesn't deserve pity," said Hige.

"But still….death doesn't justify anything!"

"He killed our own kind willingly. His death was their vengeance," replied Tsume.

"Well, are we going to sit around and talk all night, or are we going to do something about Popagan?" questioned the leader wolf.

"We're coming."

* * *

"Hey Blue"

"Yes Kiba?" replied Blue, staring into the fiery tendrils of a fire. The two wolves, and Hubb sat around a blazing fire that they had created from some leftover plane fuel. On a spit above the fire, three squirrels were being roasted. The group had run out of mloid around lunchtime.

"Tomorrow, we should go looking for the others," announced Kiba.

"Yeah, I just hope they haven't starved to death," Blue said.

"No, there's a city around here," replied Hubb, "They'll at least be able to raid garbage cans."

"What? I thought we were stuck in the middle of nowhere?" Blue gasped.

"Nah. We're a few miles away from the city of Du-Lath. But it is not as if it matters. Cheza's dead. There's no hope for anyone."

"We still have hope. There's the other two Flower Maidens," commented Kiba.

"You mean one. Hemolal will only appear if the other tw-"

"Shut the hell up! We don't need your negative talk!" Blue growled, "Your lover may be gone, but you can't tear other people's hopes down!" Hubb stared into the fire, and there was long silence.

"Alright, we'll look for the others tomorrow. After that, we'll find the other flower maiden," Hubb said, staring up at the starry sky.

* * *

"Are you sure we'll be alright?" questioned Hige, walking nervously aside a Hojo clan wolf named Bartholomew.

"Just act like I'm taking you in, and everything will be fine," Bartholomew replied. Toboe and Tsume walked behind the two, surrounded by wolves from the Hojo clan.

The guard controlling the fence stared down at Bartholomew. "I thought you killed escapees," he asked.

"These are imports. The truck broke down a few miles away." Bartholomew lied.

"Very well then," replied the guard. He opened the gates, and the wolves walked in. A few paces later, they came to another guard. He controlled the main door. Bartholomew told a similar story to him, and the wolves were allowed entrance. Then once inside, all hell broke loose.

**_To be continued..._**


	13. Fight!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or any of it's characters. I created Captain Popagan (aka CEO Popagan) and Tomo Hiragizawa. I do not own Ashella and Hemolal, because they are flower maidens. They belong to the creator of Wolf's Rain. Anyway, with that aside, I really really like reviews. So please review and enjoy, okay?**

**SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GORE. THIS IS NOT FOR THE PEOPLE WITH WEAK CONSTITUTIONS OR WHO ARE IN PREGNANCY.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Fight!**

Inside the lobby of Watagashi Heavy Industries, both wolf and human blood was being spilled. A security guard jumped at Toboe, but a nearby wolf tackled the homo sapien to the ground. The wolf was Tsume.

"Come on, let's go ahead. We did not come here to kill security guards. Our target is Popagan," Tsume stated.

"Alright. Hige! Let's go!" Toboe called out to his furry comrade. Hige got back with his group, and the three slipped out of the lobby in search for Popagan.

* * *

"Do you have the squirrel jerky in your backpack?" Blue questioned Hubb. Hubb had found the backpack in the plane earlier.

"Yeah," the human replied, "So, I guess we're all set to go?"

Kiba nodded in response.

"Well, Du-Lath, here we come," sighed Hubb.

"Damn branches," snarled Blue as she whacked at branches with her hand, "Are you sure this is the right way Hubb?"

"I'm pretty sure," he answered, knocking down a frondy shrub that was in his way. Then, he stopped walking. "Do you smell that?" he questioned. Kiba and Blue sniffed the air.

"It's disgusting….it smells awful!" Kiba groaned. Blue pinched her nose shut.

"That's how I know we're going the right way. That smell is the infamous byproduct of Watagashi Heavy Industries, which is located in Du-Lath. That's how I know we're going the right way."

"What is it that they make there?" Blue asked.

"Mloid."

"God, I never knew it would smell so bad when being produced."

"Yeah," added Hubb anxiously, looking at the ground. _What am I doing….I'm betraying them as I speak….I don't think there will be a clean way out of this predicament…_

* * *

"Damn those bastard creatures!" growled Popagan, staring into his flat screen TV. He watched a wolf tear the head of a security guard. He picked up a walkie-talkie, punched a few numbers, and spat into the telephone, "ASHELLA! SEND IN THE BLACK OPS TEAM PRONTO!"

"Yes sir," Ashella replied, ending the phone call. She then pressed a red button on the phone. A second later, alarms all around the building went off.

Meanwhile, in lobby, the wolves had finished off the last security guard. The alarms went off. "BLACK OPS TEAM! PLEASE REPORT TO THE LOBBY AT ONCE!"

"The black ops team?" stuttered the leader of the Hojo wolves. There was a clinking noise, and something metal fell near the leader's foot. Just as soon as he saw that it was a grenade, he and some surrounding wolves were blown to pink mist. When the explosion was over, a team of men, clad in black armor rushed into the room. They fired the contents of their grease guns into the remaining wolves. The wolves charged heroically at the black ops team, but it was all in vain. The small group of wolves was no match for machine guns. As they charged, hunks of flesh flew off the wolves, due to the rain of bullets. Soon, the last few wolves were a group of bullet-ridden corpses.

"Mission accomplished sir," one of the black ops muttered into a walkie-talkie.

"Wait," said Popagan on the other side of the walkie-talkie, "There's three remaining wolves. They are in the 1300 wing of building. Get rid of them a soon as possible."

"Yes sir,We're on it."

* * *

"Well, according to this map, Popagan is in the 1700 wing, which is located on the fifth floor," said Toboe, reading a map on the wall, "We'll have to take the staircase near the bathroom, and then go up via elevator."

"There's no elevator on this floor?" questioned Tsume. His ears perked up. He could hear the movement of human footsteps off in the distance. "We have to run now! Now is not the time for questions!" Toboe and Hige obeyed, and followed Tsume to the stairs. Once to the stairwell, they scrambled up to the second floor. Once they had got out of the stairwell, Tsume locked the door behind them. Just outside of the stairwell was a laboratory. Large tanks of orange liquid held various body parts. There were strange machines on the tables, as well as beakers of multi-colored fluids.

"Come on! We have no time to waste!" Tsume shouted, "The Black Ops team will catch up with us if we don't hurry!"

* * *

"Here we are," announced Hubb, standing outside of the city gates of Du-Lath. And then, in a very faint voice, just a notch above a whisper, he muttered, "Here we are at the gates of Hell."

_**To be continued…**_


	14. HIM

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or any of it's characters. I created Captain Popagan (aka CEO Popagan) and Tomo Hiragizawa. I do not own Ashella and Hemolal, because they are flower maidens. They belong to the creator of Wolf's Rain. Anyway, on with the story, reviews, and the chipmunks!**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: HIM**

Popagan was just about to take sip of some chardonnay when the door to his room burst open. Three wolves, two pups and an alpha male, stood in the doorway.

"Damn wolves!" swore Popagan, pulling a large machine gun out from under his desk. The wolves evaded the bullets, despite how many were being fired at them.

"Ashella! Come here at once!" Popagan spat into a telephone as he continued to unload led at the canines. Hige charged towards Popagan, then jumped up and clamped onto the man's wrist with his teeth. He dropped the machine gun in agony. Toboe came up from behind Popagan and sunk his teeth into his ribcage. Popagan desperately tried to fling them off, but Tsume pinned the man down.

"ASHELLA! HURRY!" cried Popagan. Ashella walked into the room, and then saw the mess that was going on.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ASHELLA! HELP ME!" Popagan howled.

"No," she replied softly. And then, Tsume killed the corrupt man by biting through Popagan's windpipe.

"Finally…finally….he's dead…," sobbed Ashella. The three looked up from the cadaver.

"Hey! You're the girl that ordered us to go to the euthanization place!" said Toboe.

"Please…don't kill me…."

"Give us a reason not to," snarled Tsume.

"He threatened to kill me if I didn't work for him! I didn't want to help kill wolves!" Tsume inched towards Ashella menacingly.

"Please! I mean it! I didn't want to!"

Tsume edged closer.

"He bent me to his will! I didn't have a choice!

Tsume prepared to pounce.

"Please believe me!"

Tsume pounced, and landed atop of the black-haired girl.

"Today, you DIE!" Tsume gnarled , rearing back his head.

"STOP! I'M A FLOWER MAIDEN!" Tsume paused.

"You're a what?

"I'm a flower maiden! If you kill me, then you might not make it to Paradise!" sniffled Ashella, tears streaming down her face. Tsume looked into her eyes, scanning for any sign of falsehood. He then backed off of her, and Ashella rose slowly to her feet.

"Please let me help you find Paradise, so I can atone for what I have done to your kin," she begged.

"I don't care," sighed Hige, back in his human form," Just as long as she helps us free the wolves that are currently enslaved."

"I can do that," replied Ashella, "And I'll burn this place to the ground!"

"Well, sounds truthful enough to me," Tsume said, "I'll let you join."

"Thank-you honorable wolf. What is your name?"

"Well introduce ourselves later," said Toboe, "We need to free those wolves."

_**

* * *

**_

Later that day, the wolves once imprisoned in the slaughterhouse of Watagashi Heavy Industries were granted freedom. Subsequently, the place was razed to the ground in a blazing inferno, which could be seen for several miles. It was just as the fire started that Hubb, Blue, and Kiba met up with the other half of their pack.

"Kiba! Blue! Hubb! You're all alive!" cried Toboe, running towards the group.

"Where's Tomo? And who's this new girl?" asked Blue skepticly.

"Tomo was found to be a traitor," informed Tsume, "He was disposed of promptly."

"As for this new girl," added Hige, "She's a flower maiden. Her name's Ashella."

"Pleased to meet you Ashella," greeted Blue, "My name's Blue. The brown haired one is Kiba and the one who forgot to shave is Hubb." Hubb ignored her comment.

"Guys, I have something to tell you," said Hubb sullenly.

_**To be continued….**_

* * *

**Author's comments: Wow….I think this is one of my longest fics…….THANK-YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR KIND REVIEWS! **It is because of you that I write this. Thank-you for your support. 


	15. Off Again

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or any of its characters. I created Captain Popagan (aka CEO Popagan) and Tomo Hiragizawa. I do not own Ashella and Hemolal, because they are flower maidens. They belong to the creator of Wolf's Rain. Anyway, on with the story, reviews, cheese, and chipmunks!**

**Chapter Fifteen: Off Again**

* * *

****

"Guys, I have something to tell you," said Hubb sullenly. There was an awkward silence. "I know where to get an airship."

"Why did you have to be so damn dramatic!" questioned Tsume, slapping himself on the forehead, "We thought you had to make a confession or something!"

"I'm sorry," apologized Hubb, I just had to find a segway into the next topic. (a segway is not just a vehicle, it is also linguistic term). Hubb looked down at his feet. _That was close….I can't confess….they'll kill me for sure, just like they did with Tomo…._

* * *

The group of seven stopped outside of a small, homely shack. Behind the shack were several hangers, as well as a massive runway.

"Well, here we are," said Hubb. He knocked on the door twice, and then it opened. A masculine midget opened the door.

"Hello. Nanpoopnik Air Services is at your service at wonderful rates and a variety of aircraft. Please come in and we will discuss business inside," said the little man, beckoning the motley group inside. They stepped inside, and sat down on a decaying green sofa. The dwarf shut the door, and then sat on a miniscule business chair behind an even smaller desk. "So, what have you come here for? Going to test the new TEX39604-ASDFT4 model? Or prehaps you're here for the very fast and lightweight plane RHO5896-8432J?"

"Neither," said Hubb, "I need to rent the SE09901955-CHZ47549-NAN-0343 MELVIN6079 craft."

"For how long a period of time?"

"A month."

"Premium or standard fuel?"

"Premium"

"Plain Jane or Deluxe Offense-Defense System?"

"The latter."

"Tailfins?"

"Talifns."

"Turbo-boosters or none"

Turbo-boosters."

"Alright, please sign here on the dotted line," said the little man, giving Hubb a large sheet of paper. Hubb scribbled his name down in chickenscratch.

"Now that we have that fired away, how many people do you plan to take aboard?"

"The whole lot on the couch," Hubb said, putting his arms around his comrades, who were alseep, due to the long conversation.

"Ok. I'll get 'er fired up. You stay in here until I call you. Feel free to help yourself to the tea and shortbread. I'll be in hangar 23."

* * *

"She's a beauty…." Sighed Hubb, staring up at the SE09901955-CHZ47549-NAN-0343 MELVIN6079 craft. The aircraft was in the shape of a bird, except it was constructed in a gorgeous metal, painted with bright fuschia paint.

"It looks like a undercooked chicken," Hige commented.

"Oh, Hubb, who's going to pilot?" questioned Blue.

"I will. I piloted things bigger than this. This will be no problem," Hubb answered.

"Alright, everyone on board!" said the pygmy man, gesturing towards the aircraft's door. One by one, they boarded the plane, except for the little guy. In a few minutes, the plane was off the ground and soaring into the atmospheric heavens.

* * *

"Hmmmmm…it's not as roomy as the other aircraft we rode…" mumbled Tsume, "And it's certainly not as easy on the eye." He laid down on a pink recliner and went to sleep.

"Wow. Even the fridge is pink," Kiba said, pulling a bottle of pink lemonade out of the refridgerator, "Hey, Ashella, catch!" A bottle of pink lemonade sailed across the room, and landed in Ashella's outstretched hands.

"Thank-you. Hey, where's Blue?" she questioned.

"She's in the control room, helping Hubb with the navigation. He's says that we'll reach our destination within a month."

"Our destination? Where will that be?"

"The end and the beginning of the world."

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	16. An Encounter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or any of its characters. I created Captain Popagan (aka CEO Popagan) and Tomo Hiragizawa. I do not own Ashella and Hemolal, because they are flower maidens. They belong to the creator of Wolf's Rain. Cheers!**

Hige:Cheers? Cheers about what?

Supreme Author: About what? The new chapter of course dummy!

Hige: Cheers for you. I'm not even getting paid to do this.

Supreme Author: Remember our agreement…..If you do not do as you say, I will refrain from feeding you Kibbles….

Hige: Noooo! Not the Kibbles! Anything but robbing me of my Kibbles! You can even sic the yaoi fangirls on me! Just don't take away my Kibbles!

Supreme Author: Alrighty, on with the show, er fic.

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: An Encounter**

* * *

****

It was about eight thirty when the SE09901955-CHZ47549-NAN-0343 MELVIN6079 was attacked by a loud thunk on the starboard side.

"What the hell was that?" Tsume blurted out, waking up from his nap. Blue came running out of the control room.

"It's Darcia's ship! It's firing at us!"

"You don't need to worry," Hubb shouted from the control room, "I'll turn on the Type A Force Barrier." All of a sudden, the ship was engulfed in a dark blue energy.

"Look at the pretty colors!" exclaimed Toboe, staring at the blue phosphorescence.

"Wow. I'm surprised it's not pink," Tsume commented. A volley of explosives fired from Darcia's ship, only to be negated by the blue energy field.

"Well, it's time Darcia got some payback," Hubb muttered to himself. Several blue energy blobs molted off the SE09901955-CHZ47549-NAN-0343 MELVIN6079 and drifted towards the enemy craft. They hit the sides of Darcia's aircraft with the force of a small tank; gouging trailer home sized holes in the ship. One of the azure energy blobs hit one of the canons on the antagonist's steel behemoth, blasting it to oblivion. A crackling noise ripped through the atmosphere. Two steel nodules popped out of the underbelly of the adversary's ship.

"Oh shit….he's got Dual Bending Lasers!" cursed Hubb. _Damn, now everyone is going to pay for this, and all thanks to me!_ Two bright red streaks of energy shot out of the two nodules. They missed the SE09901955-CHZ47549-NAN-0343 MELVIN6079 by mere millimeters.

"That was close," commented Ashella. Then, the two red beams came bouncing back, one smashing through the forcefield, into the tailfins of the wolve's ship. Everyone except for Hubb was thrown to one side of the aircraft. Hubb flicked off Darcia's ship and pushed a verdant button to his left. The force field's color shifted from blue to green to yellow, to orange, and then finally to red. Orange sparks flew off the force barrier, as if the barrier itself reflected Hubb's rage towards Darcia. Then, the energy field flew entirely off the SE09901955-CHZ47549-NAN-0343 MELVIN6079, sped towards the cockpit of Darcia's ship, and hit it with full force. Almost immediately, the enemy ship began to spiral towards the ground at a break-neck pace.

"YAHOOO! WE DID IT! WE BEAT DARCIA!" cheered Toboe, Ashella, and Hige. They should have knocked on wood. One last beam of red energy emanated out of one of the nodules on Darcia's ship. It knocked off one of the SE09901955-CHZ47549-NAN-0343 MELVIN6079's wings with deadly precision.

Everyone aboard could feel the plummeting sensation that churned his or her bellies. It was not at all bearable. Tsume barfed.

"Here! Grab a parachute!" ordered Blue, handing out parachutes. By the time she held the last parachute, everyone, except Hubb and herself, had jumped off the plane. She handed the parachute over to Hubb.

"Hey, I don't need this," said Hubb.

"Take it!" snarled Blue.

"Listen, because I am a human, I have been doomed for eternity. The human race has no hope of reaching Paradise. But because you are a wolf, you can find Paradise. Now go and find happiness. Go now, please Blue." Hubb handed Blue the parachute.

"Thank-you," she said, strapping on the parachute. And then before she jumped out of the plane, she whispered to her human comrade….

"Good-bye"

Then, Hubb could no longer see her.

"Well Hubb," Hubb murmured to himself, "At least you weren't found out by the wolves didn't realize you married Cher, the creator of mloid." He couldn't stand the looks on the wolves faces if they found out he was a traitor. Then, Hubb smiled. The clouds were gone, and he could see the desert below. He began to sadly sing a song he had read out of the Book of the Moon.

_**It all returns to nothing**_

The desert became clearer.

_**It all comes tumbling down**_

He could make out a few dots, which were boulders.

_**Tumbling down**_

He could now see the ground in detail

_**Tumbling down….**_

Then, the plane collided with the ground, sending up a brilliant explosion.

* * *

Blue hung sadly from her parachute, as she stared mournfully at the explosion.

She mumbled to herself. "Hubb, you dickhead…"

_**To be continued……**_


	17. Admist the Wreckage

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or any of its characters. I created Captain Popagan (aka CEO Popagan) and Tomo Hiragizawa. I do not own Ashella and Hemolal, because they are flower maidens. They belong to the creator of Wolf's Rain. Anyway, this is a sad chapter, so GET SOME TISSUES READY! So, be smart get some tissues, and review!**

**Chapter Seventeen: Admist theWreckage**

* * *

****

The air was dry and arid, partially due to the fact that two giant planes had just gone down in flames. The wolves had made shelter in a cave, to spend the night in. Thankfully, they had landed somewhat near each other, unlike their previous predicament. However, this smidgen of luck was overwhelmed by the sorrow planted in Blue's heart, and soon, all the other wolve's hearts. The half-breed female canine spilled the sad news.

"He gave me his parachute," cried Blue with racking sobs, "He said…he said….that he was doomed for eternity…he said….he wouldn't be able….to reach Paradise…just because he was human. What are these damn laws that forbid humans from entering? He was not a bad person! He didn't do anything wrong! Tell me, why can't he at least enter Paradise?" She looked around at the group, looking for answers.

"Answer me dammit, someone, ANSWER ME!" she hollered, half enraged.

"I don't even know the answer to that question…." mumbled Ashella.

* * *

Meanwhile, admist the wreckage of Darcia's craft, a dark figure emerged. It was none other than the man with the eyes of a human and a wolf: Darcia. In his arms, he carried Cheza who hung limply, her delicate hands dragging on the ashen ground. Darcia himself was in a limp state, although not in a physical form. His immaterial self was flaccid. His lover, who had been in a coma, had passed away the moment her room was blasted to pieces by the SE09901955-CHZ47549-NAN-0343 MELVIN6079. He vowed that no matter who it was that wiped away his lover's existence would pay dearly with a slow, painful end.

Off in the distance, he could see several figures. Six to be exact. He smelled the faint odor of wolf. _No…they cannot of survived….I sent in the imposter to finish them off…_ In his mind he knew it was the five he hated, but he refused to accept it. As he got closer, the scent of wolf became more prominent, except now it was laced by the smell of a lunar flower.

"I…I smell…one of my kind…" gasped Cheza weakly. Darcia grimaced. His pursuers had found a flower maiden of their own. He would take her out, just so that they wouldn't reach Paradise; he did not really care whether he made it anymore, now that the only one he cared about was lost to him forever. He laid Cheza down on the ground.

"I have no need for you anymore," he muttered and walked off, drawing his broadsword. He was ready to pave the ground with blood. However, he did not realize that Cheza was slowly getting off the ground.

"I must see….if there are any more left of my kind."

* * *

"So, now that we're out in the middle of nowhere, what's left in the future for us?" questioned Tsume.

"We could try to open up Paradise with Ashella," commented Hige.

"It won't work," stated Kiba, "We don't know how to perform the opening ritual."

"So, I guess we're pretty much scr-" The tip of a sword protruded from Hige's chest. The boy slumped over.

"Hige!" cried Blue, running over to the pup's side. She shook him, trying to rouse him, but it was no use.

"Blue," murmured Hige.

"Hold on, don't die!" ordered Blue.

"The blood runs from this pup's death wound, but yet it does not satisfy my thirst for vengeance," said an eerie voice. Darcia stepped out from the shadows, and took his sword out of Hige. Hige made a gasping noise, cross between an asthmatic gasping for breath and a racoon being run over by a car.

"Darcia! What are you doing here?" snarled Toboe, leaping at the man. Darcia knocked the wolf aside. The force of the blow broke one of Toboe's ribs.

"You have took away the one person dear to me in my life….I will not permit you to enter Paradise…" Darcia stated. He slung his sword at Tsume, and the male wolf's left arm went flying. Tsume howled in pain.

"I will make sure each of you dies an agonizing death." Darcia thrust his sword at Kiba, but the steel never meet the alpha male's skin.

"You will not kill them."

"Ashella!" cried Blue. Ashella had taken the deadly blow from Kiba.

_**To be continued…**_


	18. In the End

**Disclaimer: This is my story, but the anime and its characters are not. They belong to the creators and developers (all the people at Studio Bones) of Wolf's Rain. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this final installment in this story. Thank-you all my readers who have been read this load of horse poop. Toodles!**

Hige: We've finally made it to the last chapter!

Toboe: Well, except for a few people…Tomo, Popagan, Hubb, Cher, and a few security guards…..

Hige: Oh well, screw Popagan and Tomo.

Kiba: Hey, Mizu! Next time you write a Wolf's Rain fanfiction, make sure to include me more in it!

Supreme Author: That is, if I make another Wolf's Rain fiction. I kinda doubt it……

Kiba: Uh oh…the fans are revolting, better get on with the last chapter!

Supreme Author: zaps an inpatient fan with her Scepter of Doom

Kiba: On with the final chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: In the End…**

* * *

****

"Damn you, you bastard! I'll kill you!" swore Kiba, flinging his body, in wolf form, at Darcia. Darcia pulled his sword out of Ashella, who fell to the ground, hoping that he would be able to block the angry wolf, but it was no use. Kiba knocked the evil man to the ground, the broadsword flew out of his hand and clattered against a rock. The enraged wolf bit furiously at Darcia's face, but it seemed to have no effect.

"You fool, I feel no pain," said Darcia coolly, turning into a wolf. His strength overpowered Kiba, and he bucked him off, sending him crashing into a boulder. A sickening crack was heard the moment his head hit the stone. He immediately fell to the ground, near death. There was a gaping wound on the side of Kiba's head, which caused a large pool of blood to form underneath him. Darcia walked over to his sword, which was near Kiba, and picked it up. He stared at the white wolf pitifully, and then turned around to look at the other dying wolves. He had forgot to kill off Blue, but it seemed there was no need to. She was too busy weeping over her dead friends.

"I'll leave you all here to die….farewell," said Darcia, and he began to walk away.

* * *

"Hige, I'm so sorry….I couldn't protect you….." cried Blue, sobbing over Hige.

"It's….alright….at least I get to die near you…." he said weakly, blood trailing out of his mouth, "I only wish….we could of….made it to Paradise together….." He put his hand on Blue's cheek.

"Bye everyone"

And then, there was one less wolf in this world.

* * *

The wind was blowing viscously. Dust swept around Cheza, making it hard for her to see. She limped slowly towards the scent of a lunar flower, hoping to find one of her kind. She could feel a heavy pain in her heart, the sign that some wolves were dying. _I hope they're alright….I hope Blue, Hige, Tsume, Toboe and Kiba are doing well._ But she knew they were not. The pain in her heart was a tale-tell sign they were hurting. _Maybe….I can at least….open Paradise for them….if only I can find another one of my kind….__

* * *

_

"There's nothing left in this world for me," mumbled Darcia. He could always hook up with Jaguara, but she was not to his taste. She was a little too….dark for his liking. He stared sadly up at the sky. _If I can't go to Paradise, then where will I go? What will happen to me?_ He took one more step, and stumbled upon a rock. Shortly after losing his love, Darcia's only reason to live was to get revenge on the wolves. But now that he had done that, he lost his will to live. And so, he did not get back up from the ground.

* * *

"I smell…lunar flowers," choked Ashella, raising her head.

"Yeah…it's faint though…." replied Tsume weakly, "I wish I had a tourniquet." He gazed at his wound. _Damn Darcia….._

* * *

Cheza was nearing the mouth of a cave. _I'm almost there….the scent is growing stronger…._ The pain in her heart grew, almost exploding with intolerable agony. She fell to the ground, but got back up. _Almost there…._ Now, she could smell blood, the blood of wolves. Cheza wanted to cover her nose to reduce the stench, but she had to devote all her strength to walking. She almost vomited, but a few paces later, she saw the wolves. All of them, Kiba, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe were on the brink of death or already dead. They were too weak to say anything. Blue was there too, but she was too busy crying over Hige to notice anything. Cheza saw one other person, who was not a wolf. A person with silk-like ebony hair, and red eyes the same color as Cheza's.

"Another…flower maiden…like me?" sputtered the black-haired being weakly. Cheza realized that this was the lunar flower she had smelled all along.

"I finally get to see one of my kin," said Cheza, crying. She had noticed the wound on Ashella's chest. "You're dying…"

"What's…your…name?"

"Cheza"

"I'm….Ashella….listen…these wolves are….looking…for" Ashella spat up some blood, "They're…looking for…Paradise….we…need..to open"

"Save your breath. I understand," said Cheza, smiling and crying at the same time, "It's time to open the gates of Paradise. Let the sacrament begin."

The two began to recite the words of the opening ritual.

_Let us discard this unnecessary form_

_Make the barriers of our souls perish_

_Mold them into a key_

_So that the gates may unlock_

_And the scent of lunar flowers_

_Shall fall upon the ones who looked_

_Let us discard this unnecessary form_

_And let the final one appear_

Cheza and Ashella's bodies began to glow a brilliant white light, and they melted into a puddle of phosphorescence. From the puddle a large glowing sphere was formed, than began to grow and grow as it slowly rose into the sky. Toboe looked up at the ball of light, which was now as large as a skyscraper, and smiled. A crack appeared in the sphere, and small white motes poured out. As the fissure expanded, a glowing pink arm emerged. Blue took a break from weeping over Hige and saw the sphere. A shining pink woman, who looked like Cheza with long hair emerged from the sphere, along with more white motes. The earth shook, and the air was enveloped with the smell of lunar flowers.

"Are they opening? Are the gates of Paradise opening?" gasped Blue, awestruck. Tsume seemed to gain some energy and looked around.

"Paradise?" he gasped.

Kiba stared up at the Cheza figure from the ground. _Finally, Paradise…. _And then, he died.

* * *

"Hey, Kiba! There's a hotdog tree!" said Hige's enthusiastic voice. Kiba blinked his eyes a few times, trying to get rid of the fogginess that clouded his vision. Soon enough, the world came in view. He was staring up at an ultramarine sky, lined with white cotton candy clouds.

"Hey, Kiba, there's a hotdog tree over here!" called Hige's enthusiastic voice. Kiba sat up. All around him were beautiful flowers and trees. Off in the distance there was a glittering lake.

"Kiba! We're over here!" shouted Hige. Kiba looked to his left. The whole group, Hubb, Blue, Toboe, Tsume, and Hige stood under a large tree, which had hot dogs, complete with buns, growing from its branches. Immediately, he jumped to his feet, and began running towards them.

_I made it!_

Kiba ran faster.

_I finally made it!_

The group became more visible.

_I finally made it! I finally made it!_

They were only a few yards away now.

_I made it….._

He stopped in front of them. "We were waiting for you," said Hige, "Have a hot dog, this place will never run out of them!" Hige pulled a hotdog off the tree and handed it to Kiba.

_I finally made it…._

Kiba chewed the food happily, with an immeasurable joy.

_I have finally made it to Paradise._

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
